Today we are the ones being interviewed.  Julia, a rockstar student in UCSD's Pathway to Lactation program, slid into our DMs to share her journey and fangirl over the podcast (and reminded us that, yes, people actually listen to this thing).

The conversation begins with an exploration of a typical workday, punctuated by our varied responsibilities as lactation consultants. We also share what we love about our jobs like baby snuggles and supporting new mothers.

But let’s keep it real—our job isn’t all adorable yawns and milk-drunk smiles. We dive into the less Instagram-worthy parts of the gig too: mountains of charting (so. much. charting.), navigating the red tape of the healthcare system, and occasionally wanting to scream into a pillow. 

This episode is part pep talk, part therapy session, and all heart. Julia’s thoughtful questions lit a fire under us, and we walked away feeling like, “Heck yes—we were made for this.” Babies, parents, and yes, even that never-ending charting, bring us back day after day. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We spend a lot of time with these families. We see them for a lot of visits and I really want us to be valued in healthcare as specialists”

In this episode, we will cover:

• The joys of working with babies (6:03)
• Challenges we face as lactation consultations (8:15)
• What we would do differently when we first started (11:31)
• Our hopes for the future of our practice (15:28)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

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About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.